"You lied. I do have a Mommy," six year old Aurora said to her three caretakers.

Maleficent's eyes softened as she watched the small blonde child run happily through the Moors. It had been quite by accident that she had found her way in at all, but she was glad now that she did.

...

The thorn wall had been damaged by Stephen's soldiers, who it appeared had actually grown a few brain cells, by using iron to hack a path to the Moors and hold it open with iron spikes. Of course the thorns fought back and managed to almost completely repair themselves, save for a small tunnel. And said tunnel happened to be found by one curious six year old skipping through the woods.

To say the fae was shocked when she heard rumors of a human child inside the Moors was a gross understatement. She was even more stunned to discover exactly who the child was. She had watched from the shadows of the trees as Aurora coaxed some water sprites out to play. Diaval flew off before she could restrain him, and the girl squealed happily when she noticed her "pretty bird". Diaval began to play some sort of game with the child, and to her horror she realized he was leading her to her hiding place.

Before she could move, he was swooping around her head and cawing. She stood absolutely still, her breathing almost nonexistent.

"What is it, pretty bird? Is there someone there?" Aurora asked.

She stepped closer, and could just make out the outline of a person with horns. She beamed, recognizing the silhouette and knowing of only one person with that shadow. It had been her first memory, wandering upon the pretty lady with horns and getting her to pick her up.

"Come out, don't be afraid."

"I am not afraid."

"Then come out!" the small blonde insisted.

"Then you will be afraid."

"No I won't."

Maleficent stepped out of the tree line, expecting the usual gasp and perhaps tears, since the child was so young. But instead a small body slammed into her legs and arms wrapped around her hips. She stiffened, much as she had when the child had first touched her a few years ago. This didn't dissuade the child from smiling and looking up at her with bright blue eyes, never releasing her legs.

"I know you," she said. "You follow me while I play, and that's how I know I'm safe."

Diaval perched on a branch nearby, satisfied now that Aurora was with his mistress. Maleficent had yet to say anything, mostly due to confusion and a hint of fear. He cawed at her and she glared at him, but a tugging on her dress redirected her attention.

"What is this place?" Aurora asked in awe, releasing her legs but keeping hold on her dress, as if she was afraid she'd vanish if she turned her back for too long.

"The Moors," she answered, waiting to gauge the girl's reaction.

"It's so pretty," Aurora breathed, wanting to explore further, but at the same time wanting to stay with her protector. She turned back to face her. "I know you," she said again, and the older woman smirked.

"You do?"

"Uh-huh, you're my fairy godmother!" the little girl squealed. "It's just like in my story books!"

"What?" the fae asked sharply, unable to believe her ears.

"You know, the fairy that watches over a child and grants their wishes."

She was about to harshly correct the child, but then Aurora yawned and she felt a little more of her heart melt. The tiny fist that gripped her robes loosened at bit, and the small blonde leaned against her legs. She rubbed one eye adorably as only a child can, and blinked up at her.

"Up, up, up," she said, much the same as she had three years prior.

Maleficent didn't know what possessed her, but she recognized the feeling, and so she picked her up stiffly. Aurora didn't seem to notice nor care, and she wrapped her arms around her neck before snuggling against her chest. She felt her grow heavy and knew she was asleep. She had remained rigid as she held the child, but now that she was asleep she relaxed, bit by bit, until she was able to walk over and sit against the base of a nearby tree. She held the child in her arms as if she was still a babe, and as she watched her sleep she felt a warm bubbling in what was left of her heart.

The young Princess snuffled in her sleep and curled further into the fae's warmth, burying her head in her chest. Cracks that had first appeared the day she picked up Aurora the first time, and which had widened as she clung to her earlier, now split open, and a warmth rushed through her chest. The emotion was something akin to happiness, and perhaps it was happiness. It had been so long since she had experienced such an emotion that she couldn't quite recall what it felt like. But whatever it was caused her to relax further, and she began to rock the child in her arms, lips quirking in a small but genuine smile as the young girl gripped her robes a bit tighter and smiled in her sleep.

From his perch several feet away, Diaval witnessed a change come over his mistress. For the first time in the seven years he'd known her, he saw her smile and take joy from something around her. It was only fitting that it be the child she had watched over from afar since she was a babe. He almost fell off his branch when she began to rock the little girl. It struck him in that moment what Maleficent might have been like had she not been cursed with such a terrible fate.

And, he noticed, if it were not for the blonde hair, Aurora could be mistaken for the fae's child. He kept silent on his branch, watching what would surely be the first of many such moments if the love shining in the woman's multi-colored eyes was any indicator.

...

Aurora woke sometime later to a gentle swaying. She realized with a start where she was and who she was with and smiled as she opened bright blue eyes. She looked up into the multi-colored eyes of her fairy godmother.

"Hello, Beastie. Did you sleep well?"

The young girl noticed the voice was much warmer than it had been at first, and wondered if perhaps it was the shock of seeing her that caused it to be so in the first place. The rocking gradually came to a stop, but the warmth never left the older woman's eyes.

"Yes, Mommy," she replied, too busy rubbing her eyes to notice how the fae froze.

Maleficent for her part, wasn't sure she had heard correctly. There was no way she had just called her...but she had, and she couldn't deny the jolt of pleasure that filled her heart and soul at the title. She heard a small thump, and turned to see Diaval picking himself up off the ground. Apparently he had been just as shocked by the term of endearment.

"Mommy, can I go play?" Aurora asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"You may," she replied easily.

As she watched the young girl run and play among the faer folk, she was reminded of herself as a child. All the inhabitants of the Moors seemed drawn to her once they realized she wasn't a threat and happily played with her. Maleficent gazed on in wonder and with an idea blossoming in her mind. Perhaps instead of being a pawn in a long drawn out war, she was the key to stopping it...

...

Months passed and Aurora continued to visit the Moors, spending every available moment there. Maleficent began to love her fiercely, and her darkness began to recede as her heart began to mend. One day, after a rather intense fight with the wallerbogs, she was giving Aurora a bath when her heart snapped back together completely. She had just begun to wash the mud out of long golden tresses when the young girl turned her head and asked her a question that she would never forget.

"Mommy," she said, having called her that ever since they'd formally met, "can I live here with you?"

Her hands stilled as her breath caught. Of course she wanted her to live with her, that went without saying. But she was a Princess, and as such had a duty to her kingdom and...What was she thinking? Yes, she may be a Princess but she wasn't aware of that fact.

As far as she knew she was an orphaned peasant girl being raised by her three bumbling aunts. And she was only a child. And then an idea sprung to mind. If she lived within the Moors the curse would never be fulfilled because there would be no Princess to prick her finger. There would be only Aurora the girl, not Aurora the royal.

"Of course you can, one day," she said with a smile, testing the girl's reaction.

"No, I mean now. My aunties...they lied to me."

"How?" the fae asked, stunned.

Surely she did not know of her curse?

"They told me I didn't have a mommy. But you're my mommy, and you've been watching over me my whole life. Surely they knew that. Why didn't they tell me?"

Ah, now it made sense. Aurora had, with logic only a six year old can possess, pieced together Maleficent was actually her mother, not her godmother. Of course this was entirely incorrect, but the thought warmed her heart so much that she didn't bother to correct her. In fact, it might just work for what she had in mind.

"I don't know, perhaps because they love you too much to share. I can certainly understand that."

"But that's not fair! All the little girls in my stories have mommies, why can't I?"

"You can now, Beastie. All you have to do is tell them you found your mommy and then they're sure to let you come live with me."

"Do you really think so?" the child asked, voice filled with hope.

"I know so," Maleficent replied with a smile before dumping water over the young girl's head to rinse out the soap.

...

It was a pity that the three imbeciles couldn't accept that Aurora had found her mother. They had tried to reason with her but of course she wasn't having any of it and ended up running into the woods crying for her "mother". Maleficent sent her back to the Moors with Diaval while she dealt with the three pixies. She didn't harm them, simply tweaked a few of their memories. They know believed Aurora had been killed in a tragic accident that involved a certain cliff.

They remembered nothing of their conversation with Aurora that afternoon, and instead believed they were on their way to inform the King and Queen about their daughter's death. When Maleficent finally reached the Moors she found Diaval and Aurora engaged in a game of hide and seek with various creatures. With a flick of her fingers the child was suspended in midair, along with Diaval. Regretfully, she set about altering the child's memory. She now believed Maleficent had raised her since birth, except for a very short time when she was in the care of three women when her mother was away.

She altered Diaval's memory in the same way, planting fake memories of her pregnant and then giving birth to the blonde beauty. The memories of the royal birth remained intact, however, so he could understand what was soon to occur in the human kingdom. Next she had to physically alter the child. She had done it to Diaval and he was fine, she reminded herself as she set to work. She did it slowly, making sure she got every detail just right.

Minutes later, she released them from their trance, and it was as if the six years spent watching the child from afar had never occurred. She was the only one to remember.

"Mommy!" Aurora shrieked as she launched herself through the air, desperate to get away from her friends and their game of tag.

Strong arms easily caught the bundle of energy, mindful of her horns and wings. Aurora tucked her head into her mother's neck, soft gray and white wings unfurling to hide as much of her body as possible.

Maleficent laughed at her daughter's attempt to avoid becoming it, deciding to play along. Her own dark brown, black, and tan wings wrapped around them both, providing a shield against several hands. It had been a blessing and a miracle when Diaval had discovered her wings a few months ago. She had easily entered into the castle and reclaimed them, and it was almost as if she'd never lost them. For a long time she had worried she wouldn't be able to teach her daughter to fly, but the problem had resolved itself with the return of her wings.

"We can't hide here forever," she whispered to the giggling child.

With that, she unfurled her wings, causing a burst of air that knocked her daughter's playmates back several feet. This gave the young girl time to unfold her own wings and shoot into the air, giving her a head start on her friends. The fae smiled as she watched her child zip through the sky, narrowly avoiding becoming it. It was better this way. Aurora's spirit could remain pure, the curse wouldn't come to fruition, and she had been healed, in more ways than one.

Who would have thought that such a tiny babe could make such a large impact on the world?